Desperate Measures
by Laura Scofield
Summary: Set after Desperate Times. Tayend visits his sister for advice on his relationship with Lord Dannyl... 3rd in a 4 part fic series.
1. Part 1

**Desperate Measures**

_(Set after__** Ready, **__and__** Desperate Times**__)_

**Part 1**

Tayend heaved an exasperated sigh - an action he was incredibly well-practised at, Mayrie couldn't help but consider. However on this occasion, Tayend was justified in his dramatic behaviour – or at least, _he_ believed he was.

Her brother had come to visit her, and it soon became apparent that Tayend had a reason for the stay. This reason was none other than Lord Dannyl.

Tayend had spent the last half hour detailing to her his worries about his relationship with the magician; pausing occasionally to take a mouthful of wine. Mayrie had refrained from cutting in with remarks as best she could, and let her brother pour out his problems to her. Now he seemed to be at the end of his emotional rant; for after his dramatic sigh, he declared wearily, "It sometimes feels like we shall _never_ be intimate, as Dannyl has so many complicated issues he needs to deal with."

From Tayend's prolonged silence (and the fact he was busy filling up his wineglass for the fourth time), Mayrie presumed it was safe to speak now.

"So," She asked, "You came to me to ask for advice regarding your tragic love life?"

Despite himself, Tayend grinned. "_Exactly_."

Mayrie grimaced slightly, as she replied, "Didn't I warn you that Dannyl might have issues with being close?"

The scholar's grin grew even wider. "You _did_. So no doubt you were prepared for me having this conversation with you."

"Oh Tayend," Mayrie sighed, belatedly realising that this tendency for exasperated sighs was a trait they both shared. "If you weren't my own dear little brother, I would call you a helpless romantic fool."

Her brother raised an eyebrow, and feigned seriousness. "Oh Mayrie," He said mocking her tone, "The fact that I'm your dear brother doesn't usually stop you from insulting me!"

Mayrie considered this before retorting, "Yes, that's very true." They both laughed spiritedly.

Finding his breath, Tayend took another swig of wine before declaring passionately, "Curse my attraction for men! They're so much trouble!"

"I'm so glad you've finally realised that," Mayrie chortled. "But you should have thought of that the day you woke up and decided to be a lad."

Tayend gave a thoughtful smile in response to his sister's joke. "Why ever did I allow myself to follow my crazy inclinations? If _only_ I had settled down with a sensible woman and had seven children." Tayend gave a sober pause. "Actually, all jesting aside, that prospect is terrifying. Imagine _me_ with a family… Those would be some seriously strange children!"

"I'd love nothing more than to disagree with that statement, but… my honesty forbids it."

Tayend smirked. "Bless your honest nature, Mayrie! Well, I'll have to be satisfied to be an eccentric uncle to your children."

Mayrie grimaced. "Well, don't get your hopes up just yet. I doubt I'll be having children for some time."

The scholar's expression sobered. "So I take it that your and Orrend's attraction for each other hasn't miraculously increased?" Mayrie shook her head, and her brother continued, "I can't say I'm surprised. He's an incredible bore, he's unnecessarily arrogant, and he always seems to have a permanent scowl on his face when I'm around." Tayend added impulsively.

"I've already explained it to you. He disapproves of men, like you, who give into their impulses and shun respectable duties, such as finding a wife and having a family. I'm not even going to _try_ changing his opinions; it would do no good, and only cause another argument." Mayrie exhaled in weary acceptance, as she herself took a hearty drink of wine.

The scholar frowned at his sister. "He sounds just like Father. No wonder he wanted you to marry him; they get on so well! If I was to offer you some advice on _your_ love life, it would be to find yourself a Lord Dannyl." As Mayrie's face suddenly broke into a wicked smile, Tayend hastily added, "Not _my_ Lord Dannyl, of course, but another man similar to him. Perhaps I could suggest someone not quite so tall; from my personal experience, constantly craning my neck up to look at him proves rather annoying after a while." The young man shot his sister a sly grin. "Although, it _does_ give me a respectable excuse to fix my gaze on his chest…"

Mayrie laughed, and affectionately patted Tayend's arm. "You're priceless, dear brother. I honestly have no idea what I would do without you to lift me out of my misery."

Tayend's eyes widened with slight surprise. "Ah Mayrie! That might just be the kindest thing you've ever said to me. But I'm glad to be here to cheer you up." His sister absently toyed with a strand of her brother's long hair.

"If only Lord Dannyl was as comfortable as you are with being close to me," Tayend chuckled.

Mayrie couldn't repress herself from giggling. "Perhaps he doesn't trust you to keep the relations from wandering into territories that he isn't comfortable with. And speaking of our dear Dannyl, I do believe I was supposed to be imparting my wisdom on your relationship with him."

Tayend settled himself back into his chair and nodded eagerly, "Ah yes! Please do continue."

_(I decided to divide this fic up into 3 chapters, so this is the end of Part 1. All feedback welcome! )_


	2. Part 2

**Desperate Measures**

**Part 2**

It's a good thing I've such an impressive memory, otherwise I'd be taking down notes." Tayend declared smugly.

Mayrie smiled as she too sat back, and gave her brother a steady stare. "First of all, it's vital that you and Dannyl can communicate openly and without awkwardness. But I know for Dannyl that is proving difficult. Seeing as you are more forward than him, you need to work on helping him feel at ease. To let him know he can talk to you about _anything_ without embarrassment; without being judged."

Mayrie paused for a moment, before continuing. "Encourage him to ask questions about whatever he's unsure about. I presume there aren't many books with information about relationships between two men; so Dannyl's primary source of information is from _you_. You need to work on erasing any negative preconceptions he has about intimacy. Emphasise that being intimate isn't all about lust; it's an expression of your love for each other. That should help him relax, and take some pressure off his mind."

Tayend couldn't help but interrupt her at this point. "Pressure? Dannyl knows there's no pressure!"

Mayrie stared intently at her brother. "Are you sure? Because I believe his lack of experience may be making him feel inadequate. And the fact he has been repressing himself for so long certainly doesn't help. He might be uncertain how to express his feelings to you. He knows you are more experienced than him, and maybe worries you have certain… expectations of him. You need to make it clear to him that you won't be disappointed with his unskilled efforts, because that could very well be a huge concern for him."

"But _Mayrie_!" Tayend spluttered indignantly. "I _don't_ have ridiculously high expectations of Dannyl! I know very well he's inexperienced and nervous. I'm not demanding him to be an expert in bed or anything!" Tayend paused to catch his breath, and all of a sudden he grinned sheepishly. "It just struck me as strange how open we are with each other. I'm sure not many men discuss this sort of topic with their sister!"

Mayrie's eyebrows rose in surprise, but her expression was humorous. "To be honest, I'm equally certain that few women talk about their marital issues with their younger brother!"

They both laughed at their peculiar sibling relationship. "Ah but Mayrie!" Tayend exclaimed mirthfully. "I don't know what I'd do without our conversations to keep me sane. But please do continue imparting you're wisdom."

Trying and failing to adopt a serious demeanour, his sister continued. "As I said before, assure him that his lack of experience isn't a problem. Let him know that you're honoured to be his first (and let's hope) last lover, and you're excited to be the one to help him explore this new part of his life."

From the sudden wild look Tayend was wearing on his face, Mayrie knew that something crazy was passing through his mind. "What is it?" She asked impatiently.

"Now I know _exactly_ how to seduce Dannyl!" The scholar cried enthusiastically. "I'll whisper to him some day when we're out in public: "You're denying me a great honour by not letting me sleep with you… So unless you want to be ravished in front of this crowd of people, I'd suggest you find us a bed and some privacy!" Tayend cackled when he saw Mayrie's disbelieving expression. "I bet he'd faint with horror if I told him that. Not that I ever _would_ say it to him!" Tayend added hurriedly. "Unless of course I was drunk…"

"In which case there is a very big possibility that you would do or say something inappropriate to Lord Dannyl."

Tayend looked mildly affronted. "I'm more careful with Dannyl than you give me credit for. Otherwise he'd have run away to Vin by now to escape my wild desire and intentions for him."

"At any rate, I truly pity the man. He has to endure the attentions of an obsessive scholar, who's liable to pounce on him at any moment."

"Dear sister, aren't we going off topic just a little? You're supposed to be telling me how to seduce the man; not telling me how much you feel sorry for him."

Mayrie nodded good-naturedly. "Yes. But it was _you_ who got me off the point. Anyway, you need to ensure that Dannyl trusts you enough to let you take control; and that you will take things at a pace he is comfortable with. Perhaps he could suggest some boundaries, and you would promise to stick within these. Only when he is ready with going beyond these limits, will you do so. Assure him that if he _ever_ wants to stop, you'll stop. So that puts you predominantly in control, but Dannyl still gets an important say in matters. Essentially, the best way to develop your relationship is to establish a powerful trust between yourself and Dannyl."

Tayend had an awed look on his face. "Wow Mayrie… you should write a book! Your astounding understanding of the mind is wasted on your life as a housewife!"


	3. Part 3

**Desperate Measures**

**Part 3**

Tayend had an awed look on his face. "Wow Mayrie… you should write a book! Your astounding understanding of the mind is wasted on your life as a housewife!"

Mayrie let out a careless burst of laughter. "Why thank you, dear brother! If your enthusiasm for my advice is anything to go by, I may just do that some day. I could use your relationship with Dannyl to prove that my theories work!"

"Exactly!" Tayend cried gleefully. "Everyone will be envious of my and Dannyl's extraordinary relationship, and will do anything to have our success! You're book will be a best seller all over the Allied Lands! And you can meet with your fans, who will overwhelm you with their gratitude and devotion. But sadly, Orrend will have an accident one day, and you'll be left a young widow. However, you'll meet an incredibly handsome and intelligent man who you will marry and…"

"Slow down Tayend!" Mayrie interjected. "I haven't even _written_ the book yet!"

The young man smirked wickedly. "Did I mention that Orrend's tragic accident will be caused by a mad scholar who wants revenge for him marrying his sister, and ruining her life?"

"Actually, I think you failed to tell me that. If that _does_ turn out to be the case, then you should write a novel about our bizarre lives."

The scholar's face glowed with delight. "Not a novel – a whole saga!"

"Well, before you do that, maybe you should work on your relationship with Dannyl, so that the first book has a happy ending."

"I'll do exactly that - as soon as I get back to Capia, where he hopefully is desperately longing for me to return."

Mayrie snorted, and couldn't help but cut in, "The poor man must be distraught without his extraordinary little scholar to look after him. He won't be able to eat, sleep, or concentrate on his work! Even drinking will be painful, as it gives him fond memories of you; intoxicated with wine and desire, making a fumbled attempt to seduce him-"

"Ah Mayrie, stop!" Tayend cried out hastily, but then smiled. "Firstly, Dannyl is perfectly able to cope for a few days without me. I very much doubt he's dying of a broken heart!" He paused thoughtfully, taking a small sip of wine. "Although he may die of sheer exhaustion from all that tedious Ambassadorial work he's given, especially if I'm not around to distract him from it. Anyway, I'm off the point now.

"Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, my attempts to seduce Lord Dannyl are very admirable. If he wasn't so damn well-disciplined, his visits to the Library would become a lot more exciting!"

Mayrie's lips twitched wryly. "There's no doubt in my mind that you've got lots of magnificent plans for when Dannyl overcomes his fears. But I have one final but vital point to mention, which I touched on earlier. Dannyl may be afraid of his own desire for you – I think he feels responsible for you, so he wants to do everything he can to protect and care for you. Remember he's unused to feeling so strongly for _anyone_. He's spent most of his life ignoring certain emotions, which put him in control.

"But now that he's stopped restricting his feelings, He might feel overwhelmed by the intensity of his desire for you. He doesn't know where to start, so he's decided it's safer to hold himself back. He's probably embarrassed about how he can express his new feelings for you; whereas you in comparison are a lot more knowledgeable. He keeps hoping that everything will fall into place in time, but what he really needs is for _you_ to help him along. He'll depend on you at first to guide him, and show him what to do." Mayrie hid her slight awkwardness as best she could, and took a delicate sip of wine.

Two bright patches of crimson glowed on Tayend's face as he replied, "Oh, of course I will. But…it's just…I've never ah…lead an older man before. I suppose I'm not half as experienced as Dannyl thinks I am."

Mayrie gave her brother a gentle smile. "Well then, why don't you let Dannyl know the truth? That should reassure him – to know that you're nervous as well."

Tayend nodded slowly, and said quietly, "Yes, I suppose I usually act so confident when we're together, he probably doesn't realise I'm anxious too."

"Exactly," Mayrie agreed. "Once you open up with him about your own worries, then he'll feel more at ease with expressing his own. Only then can you help him to cope with his problems."

Tayend's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you, dear sister. I can always depend on you to give me the perfect advice." He stood up and strolled over to her, pulling her into an affectionate embrace.

Mayrie rubbed his shoulders fondly as she replied, "You are my little brother, Tayend. My only purpose in life is to solve your numerous complex concerns."

They both laughed in unison. "Honestly though Mayrie, you're the only person I can talk to about such sensitive matters. I'll be forever indebted for your willingness to help your helpless fool of a brother sort out his love life." Tayend said earnestly.

"Well," Mayrie retorted, "Since my romantic life is practically non-existent, I need to be content with ensuring _yours_ is a success."

"Things can still improve for you, Mayrie! Once you write your outstanding book and become famous, you'll be recognised for the genius you are! And then Orrend will have that accident I mentioned, where a crate of your books falls on top of him-"

"Enough!" Mayrie exclaimed. "Stop contemplating my husband's murder!"

They both sighed dramatically. "Fine!" The scholar replied, giving her a sly wink, "But when I write _my_ novel, he's going to be the first character I kill off."

"That's fine with me," Mayrie chuckled. "But why don't we discuss the tall, handsome and intelligent man I meet after Orrend's death?"

Tayend gasped passionately. "He turns out to be Lord Dannyl's long lost brother!"

Mayrie knew that whatever little sense the conversation had previously clung onto was now lost. However, she found she didn't mind in the slightest.

_(There's one more fic in this series, called __**Trust Me**__ and that'll be up soon :D)_


End file.
